Influences on change in expected and actual health behaviors among first-year university students
ABSTRACTBackground First-year students often adopt health risk behaviors during their first semester such as increased consumption of unhealthy food, decreased physical activity, and increased alcohol use. Expectations, social tie's efforts to motivate behavior, and coresidence with parents can...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21642850.2023.2174697 |
| _version_ | 1797245273588629504 |
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| author | Chrys Gesualdo Martin Pinquart |
| author_facet | Chrys Gesualdo Martin Pinquart |
| author_sort | Chrys Gesualdo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACTBackground First-year students often adopt health risk behaviors during their first semester such as increased consumption of unhealthy food, decreased physical activity, and increased alcohol use. Expectations, social tie's efforts to motivate behavior, and coresidence with parents can influence said behaviors.Aims We assessed how students’ health behaviors and expectations change over the first semester, and how the aforementioned factors influence the maintenance or change of behavior and expectations.Methods A longitudinal survey design was implemented. A total of N = 163 German first-year students (81% female; 18% male; 1% non-binary; Mage = 21.20, SD = 2.66) completed online questionnaires, including the NCHRBS and AUDIT, during the Covid-19 pandemic at the beginning (November 2020) and after the end (May 2021) of their first semester.Results Current and expected food consumption and physical activity became healthier over time. The current and expected number of drinks consumed per month increased. Change in expectations for physical activity, number of drinks and binge drinking were predicted by the initial respective behavior. The number of drinks and expected physical activity became unhealthier in relation to reported initial parental influence to drink and to be physically inactive. Moving out of the parental home predicted an increase in current and expected number of drinks and in current and expected binge drinking. These effects of moving out were not mediated by perceived parental or peer influence.Conclusions Interventions should target these behaviors and expectations during the first semester and address parental influence on physical activity and alcohol use. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:03:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-71874c38a14442abaf390c707d108ae4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2164-2850 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T19:24:17Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-71874c38a14442abaf390c707d108ae42024-03-25T16:25:58ZengTaylor & Francis GroupHealth Psychology and Behavioral Medicine2164-28502023-12-0111110.1080/21642850.2023.2174697Influences on change in expected and actual health behaviors among first-year university studentsChrys Gesualdo0Martin Pinquart1Department of Psychology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, GermanyDepartment of Psychology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, GermanyABSTRACTBackground First-year students often adopt health risk behaviors during their first semester such as increased consumption of unhealthy food, decreased physical activity, and increased alcohol use. Expectations, social tie's efforts to motivate behavior, and coresidence with parents can influence said behaviors.Aims We assessed how students’ health behaviors and expectations change over the first semester, and how the aforementioned factors influence the maintenance or change of behavior and expectations.Methods A longitudinal survey design was implemented. A total of N = 163 German first-year students (81% female; 18% male; 1% non-binary; Mage = 21.20, SD = 2.66) completed online questionnaires, including the NCHRBS and AUDIT, during the Covid-19 pandemic at the beginning (November 2020) and after the end (May 2021) of their first semester.Results Current and expected food consumption and physical activity became healthier over time. The current and expected number of drinks consumed per month increased. Change in expectations for physical activity, number of drinks and binge drinking were predicted by the initial respective behavior. The number of drinks and expected physical activity became unhealthier in relation to reported initial parental influence to drink and to be physically inactive. Moving out of the parental home predicted an increase in current and expected number of drinks and in current and expected binge drinking. These effects of moving out were not mediated by perceived parental or peer influence.Conclusions Interventions should target these behaviors and expectations during the first semester and address parental influence on physical activity and alcohol use.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21642850.2023.2174697Food consumptionphysical activityalcoholhealth behavior expectationsCovid-19 |
| spellingShingle | Chrys Gesualdo Martin Pinquart Influences on change in expected and actual health behaviors among first-year university students Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine Food consumption physical activity alcohol health behavior expectations Covid-19 |
| title | Influences on change in expected and actual health behaviors among first-year university students |
| title_full | Influences on change in expected and actual health behaviors among first-year university students |
| title_fullStr | Influences on change in expected and actual health behaviors among first-year university students |
| title_full_unstemmed | Influences on change in expected and actual health behaviors among first-year university students |
| title_short | Influences on change in expected and actual health behaviors among first-year university students |
| title_sort | influences on change in expected and actual health behaviors among first year university students |
| topic | Food consumption physical activity alcohol health behavior expectations Covid-19 |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21642850.2023.2174697 |
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